Edward w



(No Model.)

B. W. PARNHAM.

TELEGRAPH KEY.

No. 591,624. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

WITHEEEEE INVENTEIH 9' W W WAMFMM,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WV. FARNHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES M. HIGGINSON, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEGRAPH-KEY:

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,624, dated October 12, 1897.

Application filed July 19, 1897. Serial No. 645,022. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WILSON FARN- ,HAM, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph Sending-Keys, for use in electrical circuits whereon messages are to be sent by making and breaking the circuit, such circuit being usually employed for sending messages by the Morse characters, of which the following is, a specification. 7

The object of my invention is to obtain a telegraph sending-key which will diminish, if not wholly prevent, all liability to that particular nervous trouble known among telegraphers as telegraphers paralysis.

A further object of my invention is to construct a telegraph sending-key by which the circuit can be closed when the key is not in actual use for sending messageswithout the employment of an auxiliary circuit-closer.

I accomplish the first-named object sought by me by so constructing the telegraph sending-key embodying my invention as to obtain a spring-anvil in place of the rigid anvil heretofore employed, so that when the key in the operation of the apparatus in sending messages is pressed down it does notcome to a dead-stop, as it does upon the dead or rigid anvil of the present telegraph sending-keys, and I obtain the second-named object-sought by me by so constructing the telegraph sending-key embodying my invention that when the sending-key thereof is pressed down beyond the sending-point and contact is thereby firmly made to close the circuit such sendingkey will remain in its depressed condition with the circuit remaining closed, thus doing away with the necessity of an auxiliary closer. It willbe observed that both the objects sought by me are carried into practical operation primarily because of the substitution by me of a spring-anvil against which the contact-point actuated by the sending-key is brought into contact to close the circuit for a rigid or dead anvil.

I have illustrated the telegraph sendingkey embodying this invention in the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, wherein Figure l is a top plan view of such sendingkey; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4:, a sectional view online 3 3 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, but with the sending-key depressed into a circuitclosing position; Fig. 5, an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus, and Fig. 6 a rear end elevation.

A reference-letter used to designate a given part is employed to indicate such part throughout the several figures of the drawings wherever the same appears. V

A is the base of a telegraphsending-key embodying this invention.

B B are bearing ears or lugs.

C is the sending-lever. C

D is the handle of sending-lever O and may be constructed in the ordinary way of insulating material, as hard rubber.

E E are set-nut-adjusting screws coming in contact, respectively, with the rocker-points FFofleverC.

e e are jam-nuts on set-nut-adj usting screws E E, respectively, holding such screws in adjustment in rocker-point, F F.

G G are main-line binding-posts,G being in electrical contact with the base A and G being insulated therefrom, as by. the interposition of insulating material H, into which the screwh extends, in the ordinary way of insulating one of the main-line binding-posts from the base of the sending-key. Insulating material H is preferably vulcanized rubber.

I is an auxiliarylever pivotally mounted on base A by pivot J, extending through the bearing-ears K K. Key-lever C and auxiliary lever I are maintained in contact by adj ustable spr ing L, such spring being attached at one end of the auxiliary lever I and at the other end to the adjusting-screw m, extending through post or projection C on such keylever O.

M is a nut for holding adjusting-screw m in an adjusted position.

I is a recess in auxiliary lever I, into which recess the end 0' of key-lever 0 extends when the telegraph sending-key embodying this invention is in use in sending messages, as is illustrated in Fig. 3, and I is a recess in auxiliary lever I, into which such end 0' of lever 0 extends when the sending-key embodying my invention is in use as a circuit-closer. (See Fig. 5.)

yield correspondingly with the resilience of such spring when the screw contact-point I is forced against it by the depression of the key-handle in the manner hereinafter de-, scribed. The spring-anvil N is in electrical connection with binding-post G, being insulated from the base and remaining parts of the telegraph sending-key embodying my invention by the interposed insulating material H, hereinbefore referred to as insulating such binding-post G from base A.

The operation of this telegraph sendingkey is as follows: Adj Listing-screw m having been so adjusted to bring into proper tension the spring L to suit the operator, such tension constituting the touch, as it is termed, of the sending-key, handle D is depressed, thereby raising end 0 of lever C, (such lever turning on the rocker-point F.) The raising of the point C, as last described, against the face i (see Fig. 5) of recess I on auxiliary lever I turns such auxiliary lever on pivots J J, thereby forcing the contact-point screw 1 against springanvil N and the circuit closed. Upon releasing the pressure on the handle D of key-lever C such key-lever O and auxiliary lever I are returned to their initial position by spring L. The messages are sent by the opening and the closing of the circuit in this mannerthat is, by the alternate downward and upward movement of the key-lever G, alternately bringing contactscrew I into electrical contact with springanvil N. The spring-anvil N yielding slightly when the contact-screw I is brought against it, perfect electric contact is assured, while the shock incident to bringing such contactscrew against a rigid anvil is obviated. To maintain the lever O in a depressed condition, thereby maintaining the circuit closed,

the handle D should be depressed slightly more than the depression thereof required to raise the end 0 of lever 0 above the position thereof illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings and into the position thereof illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, wherein the end 0 of such lever C is in recess I of auxiliary lever I. The circuit will remain closed until the handle D is raised into its initial position, as

illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, by the operator raising the handle D, such levers O and I being locked in a depressed position when the end 0 of such lever G is in recess I of lever I, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric sending-key, the combination of a depressible lever, an auxiliary depressible lever, a spring attached at its ends to the levers, respectively, yieldingly holding them in a raised position, a contact-point on the auxiliary lever and a spring-anvil in electric connection with one of the main-line binding-posts of the sending-key, whereby the depression of the first-named lever will force the contact-point on the auxiliary lever into contact with the spring-anvil and close the circuit in which the sending-key is placed; substantially as described.

2. In a telegraph sending-key the combination of a spring-anvil,a depressible main lever, an auxiliary lever, a contact-point thereon, such auxiliary lever having a recess into which one end of the main lever extends, a spring attached at its ends, respectively, to the main lever, and to the auxiliary lever, whereby the depression of the handle of the main lever depresses the contact-point into contact with the spring-anvil; substantially as described.

3. I11 a telegraph sending-key the combination of a spring-anvil,a depressible main lever, an auxiliary lever, a spring attached, at its respective ends, to the respective levers and yieldingly holding them in a raised position, a contact-point mounted on the auxiliary lever, such auxiliary lever having recesses into one of which one end of the main lever extends, permitting the levers to be yieldingly held in a raised position by the connectin spring. and into other of which such end of the main lever may be forced, by the depression of the main lever, thereby maintaining both levers in a depressed position with the contact-point on the auxiliary lever in electrical connection with the spring-anvil and the circuit closed; substantially as described.

at.- In a telegraph sending-key the combina tion of a spring-anvil, comprising a strip of spring metal secured to and electrically connected with the insulated main-line bindingpost of the sending-key, a depressible main lever, an auxiliary lever, a spring attached, at its respective ends, to the respective levers and yieldingly holding them in a raised position, a contact-point mounted on the auxiliary lever, such auxiliary lever having recesses into one of which one endof the main lever extends, permitting the levers to be yieldingly held in a raised position by the connecting-spring, the relation of the end of the main lever and of such recess being such that depression of the main lever depresses the auxon the auxiliary lever in electrical connection with the spring-anvil and the circuit closed; substantially as described.

EDWVARD WV. FARNHAM.

lVitnesses:

J. P. STREET, D. B. MORISON. 

